Tour De Fleece 2015 and a Stash Dash recap

 It's that time of year again - if you're a spinner, or you follow a spinner on instagram, you've probably stumbled across Tour De Fleece - the spinning event / spin-along that runs in tandem with the Tour De France. This is my second TDF and I don't take it as seriously as some - my goals are pretty loose. Lots of people use the time limit to spin for a sweater, or to spin a whole fleece, but my goal for this year is to spin every day. A straightforward goal, but I've got out of the habit of spinning recently and I miss it, so this is the perfect excuse to get back to it! I'm also looking at trying some new techniques too - I tend to stick to a short forward draw to create a worsted spun yarn and I think I'll pull out my copy of the Spinner's Book of Yarn Designs by Sarah Anderson and see what I can come up with.

Fibre wise, I'm going to be working out of my stash, starting with the selection pictured above. Working clockwise from the top - Some Chilean Corriedale that was a gift from my dear friend Nina, a 'Wild Wood' batt from Nunoco, a braid of Merino in 'Autumn Rainbow' by Taylor Made Yarns, some Faux Cashmere by Spin City UK and a Polwarth / Baby Alpaca / Nylon blend from Play Sweet Music.


 On to Stash Dash - which is separate from TDF purely because we're only one day into the tour and I haven't had a chance to ply anything yet! However, I have finished a few things in the past couple of weeks and I'm inching closer to my 5km goal.

Old Romance cardigan - 1360m
Lime Green Jelly BFL Cashmere Nylon 3ply - 370m (currently a work in progress pair of socks, not pictured above)
Tic-Tac-Toe-Up socks - 355.5m
Easy Peasy Newborn Hats x6 - 336m
Jaffa Cake socks - 310.5m
Katy's Birthday socks - 310.25m (a gift, not pictured above)
Rainbow Trekking socks - 284.75m
Mixed Lilacs hand-dyed merino 2ply - 237m
Simple Skyp socks - 220.5m

Total so far: 3745.5m

I'm currently working on two second socks and I have some singles that need plying, so I should hopefully cross the 4km mark in the next week or so. Are you taking part in the Tour De Fleece or Stash Dash? Or d'you prefer not to get involved in arbitrary challenges!? You know me, I love an arbitrary goal. Haha.

 ♥

Fibre Friday #21

It's been all about socks for me this week - it's been too hot to spin (my hands felt the fibre when they get too sweaty! haha) so I've been concentrating on knitting smaller projects…
 Firstly, I finished up my Simple Skyp Socks by Adrienne Ku out of Hedgehog Fibres in the 'Seaglass' colourway. I love these - they're so soft, the pattern held my interest and yet was easy enough to be carry along knitting and the colour is perfect. They're a little shorter than I usually knit my socks - but that's because my cast on was a little bit too tight to go any higher up on my calves (chubby legs for the win!) and I'd rather have short socks than socks that cut off my circulation. I think I'll try a tubular cast on for my next pair of top down socks.
Next up are the Budleigh socks by Rachel Coopey from her book Coop Knits Socks. The first sock is finished and I'm working on the ribbing for the second sock. I'm using Skein 'Top Draw' in the 'Blackcurrant' colourway. These are the most cabled socks I think I've ever knitted and it's the perfect antidote to all the vanilla socks I've been working on lately!

I also finished the first of my handspun socks out of a BFL/Nylon/Cashmere blend from Lime Green Jelly - who incidentally has some very pretty fibre in her etsy shop at the moment. Knitted toe up on 2mm (US 0) needles, with a short row heel - I'm so pleased with how the first one has turned out. I was initially concerned that I'd overplied the yarn - which I had - and I thought it'd be a little too ropey, but I think they'll be fine. I love the subtle striping of the colours - there will definitely be more handspun socks in my future!
Finally on the sock front, I cast on for a pair of Seaweed Socks which are a free pattern by Wendy D. Johnson - you can find it and a whole host of her other free patterns right here. These are being knit out of a 75% merino, 20% nylon, 5% stellina blend from Hand Dyed By Kate in the colourway 'Midnight Sparkle'. I'm not sure if she dyes repeatable colourways, but she does have a small selection of pretty yarns in her shop at the moment - I love stumbling across new UK based indie dyers - it's much more cost effective than constantly shipping in yarn from the States!

I also cast on and knit a very small amount on another Easy Peasy Newborn Hat by Keri McKeirnan out of leftovers from the socks I made my friend Katy for her birthday - Manos Del Uruguay Alegria in colourway 'A8106'.

It's been a long week over here and I'm more than ready for the weekend (and hopefully some cooler weather!).

♥

Resolution Reflection

We are nearing the end of June, the halfway point in the year when I should probably take the time to look back on my New Years resolutions and see what progress (or lack thereof) I've been making. For those who don't recall - which is entirely understandable as I've almost forgotten myself, I made a few Knitting Resolutions at the end of 2014.

1. To knit 10 projects from books I already own. I'm off to a bad start already - I have only actually finished one project from a book I already have - the Tic Tac Toe Up socks from Socks From The Toe Up by Wendy Johnson. I'm also currently working on a pair of Budleigh socks from Coop Knits Socks by Rachel Coopey - but I haven't finished the first one yet, so they don't count!

2. To knit 10 projects out of my handspun yarn - including a jumper. I've made ever so slightly more progress on this one - I've finished two projects out of my handspun so far this year. A pair of socks and the Linus Shawl (which to be fair did use 1000yds of yarn). I also have another pair of handspun vanilla socks on the needles but I'm not even to the heel of the first sock yet... I've only just finished the first sock and and cast on the toe for the second...



3. Knit and steek a project. Nope. I'm still a steeking virgin. If you have any recommendations for projects that involve steeking, please let me know! I'm reluctant to knit an entire adult fair isle sweater and steek it - not because the idea of cutting my knitting scares me particularly, but because I find colourwork to be incredibly slow going and tedious.

4. Continue onwards with Operation Sock Drawer. This is the goal I've made the most progress on. I said I wanted to knit 25 pairs of socks this year and my total currently stands at 11. Not quite halfway, but I do have three other work in progress socks on the needles, so if I knit nothing but socks for the next six months - I might make it!

5. Start a knitting vlog or podcast. I think I've pretty much decided I don't want to podcast - I'm happy keeping my weekly fibre recap to my Fibre Friday posts, but the idea of video intrigues me so maybe I'll eventually try vlogging. Maybe. Who knows...

It sounds like I haven't really done any knitting in 2015 - which is not the case at all. It turns out that I prefer to dip into ravelry for knitting patterns, rather than choose from the more 'limited' collection on my bookshelf. While I love knitting with my handspun yarn - it's fabulously decadent, I find it hard to match patterns to the yarn. Clearly a Must Try Harder on all counts! The problem is I love setting arbitrary goals, but I hate 'Obligation Knitting' - a catch 22... Still, if I complete Stash Dash I'll feel a little better about my ability to meet goals!

Did you set any fibre related goals for the year? Are you doing better at them than I am?! ;)

 ♥

5... Striped Sweaters for Almost all of the Family

I love stripes. I know it almost goes without saying that horizontal stripes are unflattering and make you look wider - but I refuse to listen to this propaganda! I love stripes and I think there's the right striped sweater out there for everyone.

 Photo - Tanis Fiber Arts

Lifesavers by Tanis Lavallee. One of the reasons I'm so fond of stripes is they're such a good way to inject pops of colour into outfits without committing to overall colour and this cardigan is a perfect example of that. I'm not sure I'd feel comfortable wearing a rainbow usually, but the skinny stripes against the grey work wonderfully. I'm not sure I'd bother with the buttons and I think I'd add a couple of extra inches of rib on the cuffs but customisation is the best part of knitting!

Photo - La Maison Rililie  Designs

 Dessine-Moi Un Mouton by La Maison Rililie. The combination of the texture and the stripes is what drew me to this sweater - I love how the broken seed stitch affects the stripes on the body and how this contrasts with the stockinette stripes on the sleeves. Also, a great way of using up treasured leftover yarn? Hmm...

Photo - Brooklyn Tweed / Jared Flood

 Mimic by Joji Locatelli. I know knit dresses aren't everyone's cup of tea - and this one certainly wouldn't suit me, but I was drawn in by the styling. Worn over a shirt and jeans it's a perfect smart casual outfit. I've just finished knitting a Joji pattern and it was a delight to work on, I think if I were to knit this one, I'd probably shorten it to hip length so the hem of the shirt would peek out.

 Photo - Marianne Barta / peatmoss83

Tide Pools by Andrea Sanchez. I'm always on the lookout for well designed kids knits and I love the simplicity of this sweater and the button detailing on the shoulder is the icing on the cake. Now I just need to find someone to knit it for...

Photo - westknits

Hofsós Pullover by Stephen West. Late June probably isn't the time for cozy winter sweaters, but I guess if you started now, it could be finished in time for the colder weather (or if you're in the Southern hemisphere, this could be exactly what you need right now)! For me, I think knitted out of a variety of charcoal greys, this could be great for winter beach walks.

♥

Fibre Friday #20

 This week I've been away visiting some friends and pretty much all I've been knitting for the past few days are baby hats. Easy Peasy Newborn Hats to be precise, out of leftover sock yarn. The Easy Peasy Newborn Hat is a free pattern by Keri McKeirnan. These hats are so addictive - I've knit five hats this week and I don't any babies to give them to!
 Yarns used: Top Row, L-R: Pinkalicious Rainbow by Yarn Ink, Manos Del Uruguay Alegria in '7105A' and Austermann Step in 'Ennis'.
Bottom Row, L-R: 'Autumn Rainbow' by Fab Funky Fibres and leftovers from a sock blank I dyed last summer.
I still have a kilner jar full of leftover sock yarn, so there are many more hats on my horizon! I'm going to store them up and gift them to any expectant friends in the future.

 I finished the heel flap and started the gusset decreases on my first Budleigh sock from Coop Knits Socks by Rachel Coopey. I'm using Skein 'Top Draw' in the 'Blackcurrant' colourway. I'm still really enjoying this pattern - I didn't take it away with me as with this many cables that was just asking for trouble, but I'm looking forward to curling up on the sofa and putting a couple of inches on it, this evening.
 Aside from the army of little hats, the project that's seen the most work this week is my second Simple Skyp Sock by Adrienne Ku, out of Hedgehog Fibres in the 'Seaglass' colourway. At the beginning of the week I only had the ribbing and the first pattern repeat done, but I've done a fair amount of train journeys this week - so I'm now through with the gusset decreases and a couple of inches into the foot. I know I've said it before, but I love love love this yarn. It's the softest sock yarn I've ever worked with. I hope it washes and wears well as these socks are destined to become sock drawer favourites.

Lastly, I put about an inch of knitting on my handspun vanilla sock out of fibre by Lime Green Jelly. I overplied the yarn, so it's a little ropey but should hold up to wear pretty well, if I ever get them finished - 2mm (US 0) needles make for very slow progress!

Not a bad amount of knitting this week, considering I've been out and about - predominantly eating very calorific meals in diners and drinking too many cocktails but hey - no one diets on holiday right?! ;) I hope you've had a very good week! I intend to spend the weekend relaxing before I go back to work on Monday.

♥

FO and Tell: Old Romance Cardigan

 I wanted to share a few more photos of my finished Old Romance cardigan, which is a pattern by Joji Locatelli and I used Madeline Tosh Sock in the 'Moorland' colourway. We went to the beach to photograph - the beach is my favourite place for knitwear photos, and I'd intended to model it myself, as I knit it for my measurements, but I'm a control freak when it comes to photography - so a big thankyou to my mum, who hates photographs of herself, for stepping in!

 I followed the modifications that ittybitty used for cardigan, titled 'Modern Romance'. I eliminated the contrast colour for the lace panels - as I knew I'd get more wear out of a single coloured garment, and I replaced the picot edging on the lace with stockinette stitch. I also neglected to add ribbing to the cuffs as the sleeves were more than long enough without it.

I love this cardigan, it's probably the garment that I'm most pleased with to date. The construction was really interesting and there wasn't any seaming involved either - but a fair amount of kitchener stitch, which I find quite satisfying, even if it is a bit tedious!
 It's designed to be worn with 10-12 inches of positive ease, which means knitting an enormous swathe of stockinette, but results in incredible drape. I wear a UK size 16 on top and knit a size Large and I'm really happy with the fit. I shared this photo of me wearing it in a Fibre Friday post a couple of weeks back....

I will definitely be getting a lot of wear out of this cardigan! And I think I'll be knitting more of Joji's patterns in the future...

♥

Fibre Friday #19

 Until yesterday I had precisely one project to talk about this week - it turns out that deadlines make me a very boring monogamous knitter! Haha. But before I get to that...

I finished the cuff and am knitting the heel flap on the first Budleigh sock - which is a pattern from the first volume of Coop Knits Socks by Rachel Coopey. I'm using Skein's 'Top Draw Sock' in the 'Blackcurrant' colourway. This is my first time using Top Draw and I'm not sure what I think of it yet - I love the colour, and it feels really soft, but it's starting to pill even as I'm knitting with it, so I don't know how it'll hold up to wear. It's a blend of 85% Superwash Merino and 15% Nylon which is a little less nylon than I normally go for in a sock yarn, but we shall see! Pattern-wise, I'm really enjoying knitting Budleigh - it's been a little while since I've knit anything cabled and I'd forgotten just how much I love cables! It requires more concentration than I can give it whilst watching Netflix, so is strictly audiobook-only knitting! Luckily I have a stack of crime novels to listen to...

 I also put a couple of rounds on my latest Easy Peasy Newborn Hat by Keri McKeirnan out of leftover Austermann Step in the 'Ennis' colourway. Normally I wouldn't include such a nominal amount of knitting in my weekly round up, but I was scraping the barrel this week! Haha.
 Finally, the project that's seen the most work this week - my 3x1 toe up ribbed socks with a short row, knit out of Manos Del Uruguay Alegria in colourway 'A8106'. These are a birthday present for a very good friend of mine - I think the colours will be perfect for her, so fingers crossed she likes them! (sidenote: we stopped at the beach to photograph my Old Romance cardi after I finished work today, and it was so sunny and lovely, I thought I may as well snap my socks there too!)

I also received a lovely parcel from my dear friend Nina this week - containing some pretty handspun mini skeins - and she kindly forwarded me a Knit Picks order - getting hold of Knit Picks things in the UK is hardwork, as they refuse to ship internationally! I didn't need any yarn, but I ordered a couple of sets of their Caspian fixed circular needles - because I was lured in by the pretty colours, and a set of the nickel plated interchangeables on behalf of my mum - who wasn't keen on splurging on a set of ChiaoGoos which are my needles of choice, so I'm interested to see what she thinks of them, but I think they'll suit her just fine.

Okay, seeing as I'm pretty much up to date on my obligation knitting, I think I'm going to spend the rest of the evening working on my Budleigh socks totally guilt free!

♥